Tag: booker

A FRESH TAKE ON PASO WHITE: FAVORITE NEIGHBOR CHARDONNAY

The back story here is worth knowing.  The property was assembled by two orphaned brothers, Dick and Claude Booker, back in the ‘20s.  Over the decades their property grew to nearly 1200 acres of land which they ultimately left to charity on their passing.  They were exceptional farmers and humanitarians.  Eric and Lisa Jensen acquired a 100 acre parcel of the estate in 2001.  Eric learned the ropes working with Justin Smith (Saxum) and Stephan Asseo (L’Aventure).  In 2005 Jensen launched his own winery which he named for the brothers, Booker.  This producer has been pretty much a juggernaut since its inception.  Booker Syrahs and Rhone Blends moved into the spotlight almost from the outset.

Their own words define the ongoing vision of the estate, “Booker is dedicated to the pursuit of farming perfection, constantly striving to find the perfect balance in the vineyard through certified organic farming practices as well as methods that draw inspiration from biodynamics. The westside of Paso Robles terroir is unique, boasting extreme vertical slopes and calcareous soils. Limestone beds with very little water make it hard to believe that anything could grow, yet the Booker estate produces some of the greatest wine grapes on earth.”. 

They eventually they decided to add to the portfolio by creating an adjunct label which was originally marketed un the Booker banner, using their relationships, particularly that with Asseo as the inspiration for the new name, My Favorite Neighbor.  It didn’t stop there as Jensen went on to create another label in honor of his parents who, in his words, “loved wine, but in today’s world, couldn’t have afforded a quality bottle.” Harvey and Harriet is the brand.

The reach for quality grapes has spread beyond the confines of Jensen’s estate to include other like-minded growers for additional fruit, organics and biodynamics being the words of the day every day.  Everything is made at the solar powered winery at Booker.  Even the purchase by mega corporation Constellation hasn’t changed the mantra…yet.  What they have done is give each of the labels more or less their own stage and, while you can get info on each of them from the same website, they don’t use the Booker name on the other wines any more.  They also probably had a hand in creating a white wine program though, clearly from the results, Jensen’s philosophy inspired the tasty, unique new lineup of whites. 

Some might think California doesn’t need another Chardonnay, but the My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay 2021 is expansive, palate coating efforts that has its own unique personality. Sure it’s ripe and layered. But it also boasts elements that one might associate with a something white from the northern Rhone. There’s spice, tropical notes, baked apple, and a richness to the fruit that some might confuse with sweetness. In any case this is a very likeable, maybe even a little exotic wine that lovers of big, bold domestic Chardonnay should embrace.

Erin Brook of robertparker.com liked it too, “The 2021 MFN Blanc Chardonnay is very ripe in style with scents of banana chip, apple pie, jasmine, allspice and brown sugar. The full-bodied palate is packed with ripe, spicy fruits and plenty of refreshing acidity, and it finishes long with a satiny, mouth-coating texture. It’s an old-school style reminiscent of Napa that fans of ripe, oaked Chardonnays will enjoy…97 points.”

DELICIOUS HOMMAGE TO PARENTS FROM BOOKER

So if you are old enough to think this name is familiar, you might be thinking of the old TV show Ozzie and Harriet.  This is a completely different thing courtesy of Booker vineyards and the intense and focused ‘mind behind’ the project, Eric Jensen.  His Syrah bottlings have achieved legend status but this bottling is virtually unknown because, well, it’s brand new.

Imagine a ‘Super Paso’ kind of blend that is a fine extension of the big volume, rich, creamy style that has been the hallmark of the Booker Syrahs infused into this sexy blend.  Jensen’s own parents serve as the inspiration for Harvey & Harriet, represented in two hand-holding silhouettes always balancing on the tightrope of life, adorned with the inscription “Everyone’s favorite neighbors. Or not.”

This is a fabulous showpiece for the ‘Paso style’…super plush palate bordering on sur-maturite fruit but with just the right lift to make it pleasingly juicy and palate-caressing.  There is richness, plush character, surprising freshness to the layered, ripe fruit.  This is pure Paso at its most compelling.  Booker is uber famous in some circles, as we said earlier, for it’s Syrah based wines.  But this new assemblage tends to reach into a different realm. 

The blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Malbec could have easily been labeled as Cabernet as it would be virtually impossible to detect that one percent missing in the blend.  It would certainly have been easier to sell the wine as a new “Cabernet” from Booker.  But, to their credit, that is not how these folks roll.  They put all of their effort into perfectly ripe fruit and called it as it was. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this as you would a Cabernet.  The touch of blackberry and smoked meats in the finish comes from the Syrah but adds dimension to the wine.  The rest plays like an elite, polished Cabrnet from Paso with primarily dark cherry fruit laced with subtle minerality. We have been surprised how many California Cabernet producers have been routinely slipping a little Syrah into the mix.   The ‘official’ name of the wine is Booker ‘My Favorite Neighbor’ Harvey & Harriet Paso Robles Red Blend 2017.  The name is a little hard to digest and one would be understandably hard-pressed to dive into this with such a non-descript ‘handle’. But this is, in fact, a greatly engaging ‘Cabernet’ and Paso experience all rolled into one.

You can pay more for something like Daou, which gets pretty rave reviews from the press.  But to us this wine has more soul, depth, and a very comfortable flavor and style profile.  There is a little bit of confusion as the winery has made wines carrying the ‘My Favorite Neighbor’ label for a while (we have Advocate reviews dating back to 2006).  But Harvey & Harriet, specifically dedicated to Eric Jensen’s parents, is a new chapter in the series.

There’s not a lot of ink on this newcomer, but clearly Jeb Dunnuck shared our enthusiasm in a barrel review he posted on the wine in November, 2018, “Named after Eric Jenson’s parents, the 2017 Harvey and Harriet is another outstanding wine in the making…It boasts lots of blue fruits, graphite, violets, and classy oak as well as a big, full-bodied yet rockingly balanced style on the palate. It has classic Jenson style and is going to drink nicely right out of the gate…92-94 points.” That it does.